Comprehensive Electrical Hazard Evaluation for Industrial Plant Safety Management
Keywords:
Electrical hazard, Industrial safety, ISO standards, Risk assessment, Safety managementAbstract
Electrical hazards are responsible for numerous deaths, injuries, and damage to equipment in industrial plants; because of this, hazard assessment and risk management are critical for plant safety. This paper proposes a systematic procedure for electrical hazard assessment in industrial plants by using international procedural regulations, such as ISO 31000, ISO 12100, ISO 45001, and IEC 60364. The procedure takes into account common electrical installations during their whole life cycle and makes a semi-quantitative risk assessment based on the probability of occurrence and severity of the hazards. The risks are then classified and ranked by using a risk matrix, which allows enterprises to prioritize hazards and allocate resources safely. Measures to reduce risks should follow the hierarchy of controls, starting with the complete elimination and substitution of hazards, then engineering controls, administrative controls, and finally PPE in place for residual risks. Further safety controls in the form of employee training, safe operating procedures, workplace observations, inspection programs, and monitoring on a periodic basis are also factored in. The findings indicate that integrating systematic hazard identification with formal risk analysis and risk prioritization can greatly enhance electrical safety risk levels and associated cost/regulatory concerns. The risk matrix offers industrial plants a valuable and readily adoptable tool for hazard prioritization and resource allocation planning. The supplemental ISO-based and life-cycle-oriented structure established by this study can facilitate compliance with electrical safety regulations, elevate the level of safety management systems, and foster a positive safety culture. The method supplies plant safety managers with a deployable visual decision tool to facilitate a targeted hazard-focused intervention and continuous improvement to electrical safety performance.
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